Compassion
by Damvladi
Summary: Neferpitou found she couldn't kill Gon, something was preventing her. Why did she suddenly feel remorseful ? How is the young Hunter going to react when faced with this fact ?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer : I do not own Hunter x Hunter

* * *

"He's dead" She said in a subdued tone. She didn't feel particularly good saying that for some reason. "My Nen manipulate corpses. I can heal, but I can't bring back the dead. I'm sorry" She didn't know why she said that last part, she didn't know why she felt so awful at this moment, staring at the man she killed and stitched back into a mindless puppet.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Neferpitou saw Gon fall to his knees, an endless stream of tears falling from his eyes. Something seemed to stir in her at this, she turned to look at him. His lips were moving, absently forming words without any sound escaping. She stared at him for a little while longer, before the dull pain in her arm throbbed. Deciding to let him some time, she activated her Hatsu 'Doctor Blythe' to take care of it. She noticed Gon turning to his head in her direction with an expectant expression.

"I'm sorry" She just said, and raised her arm, beginning the surgery.

His face fell, and he returned his gaze to the unmoving form on the floor. Neferpitou didn't show it, but she felt utterly crushed for giving this false hope. It was starting to worry her that she still couldn't fathom why she was so deeply affected by this human child. She should have already killed him. Komugi was safe, so there should be nothing to her. Except she found she couldn't. The thought of harming him was hurting her. Even though the best option for the king was to kill him, she realised she didn't care. And why was it 'the' king and not 'her' king anymore. Wasn't she his royal guard ? If her animalistic instinct was to be believed, that wasn't the case. She stopped considering him 'her' king and simply became 'a' king at some point. Now, she was sure this was the child's fault, but she found she couldn't blame him.

The conflict within her wasn't tottaly lost on Gon. He didn't know how, but he could feel emotions coming from her. It was fleeting and almost imperceptible, but he catched it with ease. His mind was racing trough thousands of thoughts. He had picked the slightest hint of remorse when she announced the demise of Kaito. But what was really confusing and infuriating him was the complete sincerity when she apologized both times. He wanted to blame her, to curse her for all he was worth. He wanted to feel that rage, that hatred again and direct at her like he did in the palace. But all he could feel was sorrow, strong and perpetual. He picked confusion from the chimera ant and several seconds later it was replaced by acceptance. The surgery finished, Neferpitou moved her arm expertedly a few times before she was satisfied. She looked at the door leading outside.

"I should probably kill you, but it seems I can't. I'm sorry for your friend." She whispered, unsure of herself.

She made a step toward the exit but froze when she heard him. "Why ?" His voice was barely audible but her keen hearing caught it.

"I don't know" She replied "My instinct tells me that I shouldn't hurt you and I'm genuinely sorry for what I've done to you. I just don't know why." She added despite the logical part of her mind screaming at her for exposing herself.

"Why don't you hate me ?" He mumbled as he turned his head to see her back. "Look at me." She complied and saw the trails of dry tears coming for his confused eyes. He locked eyes with her. "Why do you feel remorse ? Why are you sincere ?" He asked quietly, making her unconsciously take a step back from him. How did he know ? "Why can't I hate you ? Why am I not even angry with you ? Is it because you feel regret ? I can't attack you now." He said matter-of-factly.

She wasn't sure where it came from, but she was a bit amazed at the purity, or naivety depending on the point of view, of his thought process. Gon picked up on it easily, but let it slide. Without contexct, he couldn't understand the emotion. He turned his gaze on the corpse of his friend briefly before returning it at Pitou, his eyes openly pleading.

"It hurts, it hurts so much" He stated. Slitted eyes widened when she felt her heart clench. "I can't stand it, it hurts too... much... I-" He trailed off, lowering his eyes from hers, tentatively trying to recognize the emotion he felt coming from her.

Not knowing what was happening, she approached him, acting on pure instincts, for her mind was blank. She knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He froze, moving his head sharply. They locked eyes and Gon finally recognized the feeling he was getting from her. Caring. Something snapped in his mind. She saw it happen in his eyes just after they had widened as understanding dawned on him. She felt his muscles relax and his gaze softened, despite the pain and hurt you could still see in it. He leaned in her embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Can... Can you take me away ?" He asked, brokenly whispering in her ear. "I-I don't want to be here anymore... Take me far away... From here."

She felt a tear of her own slide along her jaw as his body slumped against hers, falling asleep. She stood slowly, adjusting his legs around her waist so he wouldn't fall off, and walked out of the building. She sensed someone coming, at high speed, so she used In and continued on her way to leave as Gon asked. She didn't think about the king, or the other royal guards. She didn't think about the other humans invaders or Komugi. The only thing on her mind was Gon, the young broken human in her arms.

Killua didn't find Gon, and he returned bare hands at the palace.


	2. Chapter 1

**Warning**

I actually wrote this story as a one-shot. At the time, I was simply researching ways to make the pairing work while starting from a cannon event. I didn't think about an actual plot after it. That's what I am trying to bring here, so please review and tell me if you think I should continue. Ideas are welcome.

Also, some of you probably noticed, english is not my first language. I apologize in advance for the mistakes I certainly made.

* * *

Gon awoke with the sun, the next morning, in a small glade. He sleepily rubbed his eyes, remembering the events of the night. He began to panic as he gazed around and couldn't find any sign of Pitou's presence. He stood abruptly and his Nen flared, expanding around wildly in an instinctual En.

Pitou was coming back from her hunt. She had read many magazines in the palace so she knew that Gon would be hungry when he woke up. She easily catched a rabbit for him. She was about to step in the clearing where she had left him when she felt Gon's alarmed aura. She didn't have the time to react, a blur slammed into her and strong arms encircled her waist.

"Please, don't leave me." He pleaded, his voice muffled as his face was buried in her chest.

She reached his hair with her free hand and gently stroke them. "I won't." She replied quietly.

He took a few seconds to calm himself, then he lifted his head and asked. "Where were you ?"

She showed him the rabbit she caught. "I got breakfast nyah." She said amusedly.

He smiled brightly, making her heart skip a beat. It definitely changed from the rage or the sadness she had witnessed so far. He took her prey in his hands and returned to the clearing without a word. She followed and watched him curiously. He held two fingers, transformed his aura around them into a small blade and expertly skinned the small animal.

"Where did you learn to do that ?" She asked curiously.

He answered without looking up. "I grew up on a small island. There wasn't a lot of things to do so I used to play in the forest when I was little. It was like my home as much as it was for the animals there."

She asked him more about his life on whale island. He seemed to like to share it and she was surprisingly captivated by some of his stories. She learned that he was raised by his aunt and great-grandmother. Apparently, he hadn't known about his parents before he was nine years old. She was fascinated by the way humans seemed to be born really small and grew over many years. While they ate, she didn't really need to but it made him more comfortable, she asked him about human childlife in general. So he described what he knew about Killua's childhood for her to be able to compare with his own. She realized with this discussion the inherent mistake her race made. They had taken on human characteristics and thought process without taking the time for the learning phase that every human child had on the beginning of their life. Pitou herself was still a child on human standard. She was barely two months old. Even Gon was young and was still learning a lot about life. It must have been one of the reasons for her sudden change. By observing Gon and, to a bigger extent, the king's interactions with Komugi, she understood human emotions better. Thereby, allowing her to feel remorse. Subconsciously, she was leaning further toward her human part.

When it was time to leave, she asked where they would be going. Gon thought about it for some time. He eventually said that he met a friend of his father on an island that would likely welcome them without asking too much questions.

XXXXX 1 Week Later XXXXX

They travelled incognito across the ocean on a raft they made themselves. Their conversations had evolved from Gon's childhood to his adventures during the Hunter exam up to Greed Island, the place they were heading towards. Pitou always had many questions about humans, their lifestyle and what drove them, Gon was happy to answer her to the best of his abilities. Another of their pastime, and what Pitou considered her personal mission was Gon's training with Nen. She was amazed by the amount of raw talent he had, and constantly repeated that it would be a waste not to use it. He wasn't too thrilled about it, saying that he didn't have a purpose to be strong anymore, but she would have none of it. They often argued about it but he always relented, despite his complains, to make her happy. She had rapidly understood that it was important for him to please her. She didn't know why, and she certainly didn't mind it, since she was doing her best to do the same thing for him. Like when he requested that she stayed near him to sleep, so each night he would fall into slumber in her arms. She didn't need to sleep, she just hugged him and used a small En around them to stay alert. It made her feel nice and warm to do that with him. She liked it even if she didn't really comprehended why.

They had finally accosted on the shore of Greed island and they could see someone walking towards them. Pitou was immediately on her guard but Gon put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's Razor." He said simply, having already told her all about him. She nodded and relaxed.

"Gon ! What are you doing here ? You already cleared the game." Razor exclaimed with his trademark laid-back smile.

"Hi Razor. I'm sorry to come that way, but... I need a place to stay, away from the rest, please." Gon said a little sheepishly.

"Alright, on one condition though. You have to agree to a rematch, one on one at dodgeball." Razor stated with a small smirk now.

He wasn't blind, he could see that Gon had progressed a lot since he last saw him, he also wanted his revenge. Hisoka had interfered last time. Gon nodded gratefully while Pitou bowed politely, like he had taught her. Razor led them in a small house, adjacent to the gymnasium where the challenge took place. He showed them to the only bedroom he had and said he would sleep on the couch. They had a quiet dinner after that, as it was late in the evening, and went to bed.

"Thank you." Gon said in a small voice before closing the door to the bedroom.

Razor knew what he had been thanked for. It wasn't for giving them a place to say. It was because he hadn't asked. He knew about the mission Gon took part in. Isaac Netero's death against the chimera ants king, as one of the most powerful Nen user in the world, had been quite the news after all. He also knew who his companion was. For one, it was difficult not to sense her huge strength as she wasn't using Zetsu or In. On the other hand, it was known to the public that one of the royal guard's status was unknown. There was a flee on sight order made by the Hunter association. What surprised him, even if he didn't show it, was that they were travelling together. Razor was snapped out of his musings when he heard them talk in the other room. He wasn't one to eavesdrop, but he was usually alone here, it was the first time he had guests, so the walls weren't soundproof. Moreover, if it could help him understand the situation, he didn't mind invading their privacy a little.

"Ne, Pitou, why do you care for me ?" Gon asked as they hugged each other on the bed.

She was taken aback by the sudden question, and failed to respond for a few seconds, but she decided to answer him truthfully.

"I don't know. I don't really understand it myself." She began thoughtfully. "When I was healing Komugi, I considered you a danger. Someone with so much potential that you could become as much of a threat to the king as the old man who fought him. But I also respected you for it. I think I began to respect you for your will and resolve. It changed after that. When we arrived where your friend was, I felt bad for what I did. Not to him, I admit, but to you. It was hurting me to see the man I had grown to respect for his drive suddenly crumble in front of me, and it was my fault. It didn't feel right. I never felt any remorse before that, and still don't. With you though, it crushed me. Honestly, I don't know how, when or why I started to care for you, it happened and the king wasn't that important to me anymore."

"You know, I made a vow and restriction to kill you." He announced after a minute of silence. "I would have probably died in the process, or lost the ability to use Nen, but I was prepared for it."

"That's exactly what I like about you nyah." She said before she could stop herself, and it made her blush embarrassingly.

He lifted his head and touch her forehead with his so they could see each other's face.

"I might never forgive you for what you did to Kaito." He said quietly. "But please stay with me."

She tightened her embrace. "As long as you want me to." She promised.

"Thank you"

On the other side, Razor was a little shocked about Gon's admission of making a vow and restriction that dangerous. It told a lot about his desire to avenge Kaito and Pitou's strength. All things considered, Razor thought that the two of them needed time for themselves to sort out their feelings and move on from what had happened. He wouldn't pry, as it wasn't his place, but he would listen if one wanted to talk to a third party. He owed it to Gon, as Ging's son, and to her, because he didn't want to think about what would have happened if Gon had acted on his vow.


	3. Chapter 2

Razor woke up to the sound of the bedroom door opening, revealing a fully clothed Neferpitou.

"Did I woke you ?" She asked apologetically.

"It's okay, I sleep lightly anyways in case players come. I'm more surprised you're up this early." He answered smiling lazily.

"Gon gets up with the sun and my body doesn't need much sleep nyah." She shrugged.

"Oh, do you need to eat then ?" He asked, standing up to prepare breakfast.

"Not everyday, but Gon doesn't like when I just stare at him while he eats." She replied jokingly.

Razor nodded as Gon emerged from the bedroom.

"Let's go training." Pitou exclaimed cheerfully.

"You better take it easy, if nobody comes by midday, I want the rematch." Razor interrupted with a smirk.

"Sure." Gon matched him with a grin in anticipation.

Noon came by rapidly, and they entered the gymnasium.

"Same rules as last time ?" Gon asked as he took place, facing Razor while Pitou was standing on the side, acting as referee.

"Negative. It's one-on-one so it's gonna be more like catchball than dodgeball. Nen authorized, obviously. The objectif is to catch the ball without tresspassing the limit of your camp or to return it. If you miss the other player by more than... let's say three foot, you lose the point. Each time you fail to catch the ball, your opponent gains a point. When one of us can't play anymore, we count the points and see who wins, sounds good ?"

Gon nodded and grabbed the ball that Razor threw gently at him.

"I give you the first try as the winner of the previous match." He added confidently.

He was right to be in the end. Razor won, but that was to be expected, although he didn't leave unscathed. They were both exhausted and had bruised hand plus some broken bones in Gon's case that Pitou was more than happy to treat with 'Dr. Blythe'. Despite a rather smooth victory, Razor was impressed by Gon's progress. He really was a powerhouse. He had also radically improved his jajanken, so much that he could now gather enough aura in his fist to hurt Razor with the punched ball in a matter of seconds.

"Let's do that again ! I want to have another go." Gon suggested excitedly with determination shining in his eyes. Razor smiled, that was a reaction he was glad to witness.

He didn't say it, even if he knew Pitou had picked up on it, but repeating this game daily would strengthen Gon as an enhancer. Add to that his talent and potential and Razor was certain he wasn't going to keep winning for very long.

* * *

His prediction came true four days later. Gon won the two hours long game they had by a small margin. So it was a very happy young lad that slept that night. Razor, for his part, wasn't smiling, despite taking his loss with a proud one, given that he was being operated on by 'Dr. Blythe' for two shattered ribs.

In the middle of the night, the alarm signalling incoming players woke the habitants of the house. Gon decided to go tell them to come back later, as Razor was still bedridden because of him and Pitou was in one of her rare moment of sleep. He made his way to the front doors of the gym but the individual he saw there obviously wasn't here to play the game.

"What are you doing here ?" He asked cautiously, flaring his En in all directions, like Pitou taught him, in case someone was waiting in ambush.

Knowing he was detected, Sylva Zoldyck joined his father at the entrance.

"Good En young man, unusual, but good. Tell us where the chimera ant is." Zeno said calmly.

"What if I don't ?" Gon prompted, his lips twitching at the prospect of fighting the two powerful assassins.

"I would like to avoid trading blows with you if at all possible, you are precious to Killua, and he wouldn't forgive us if we harmed you." Zeno stated reasonably.

Gon couldn't help himself, Pitou had to be rubbing off on him more than he expected, he thought as a mischievous grin stretched accross his face. "Oh, you think you can hurt me ?"

They didn't raise to the taunt, Zeno only sighed heavily. "You're not going to make this easy for us, are you ?" He asked to himself. "Sylva, stay out of it. If you see an opportunity, disable him but do no damage that cannot be healed afterwards." Zeno ordered his son, who nodded.

He flared his aura to begin with 'Dragon Head'. Gon seeing this, immediately opened both of his hands and two Nen orbs appeared in each. He threw the first at Sylva who was walking to the side, causing him to dodge and giving Gon enough time to throw the second in the air before jumping and smashing a jajanken into it. Zeno leaped out of the way but wasn't fast enough and lost his balance for a small moment in middair due to the explosion the orb provoked when it impacted the ground. He regained his footing and Gon was already near him with a jajanken ready, so he pushed him back with an aura blast.

Gon landed a dozen meters away, bounced over the kick Sylva aimed at his legs then countered with a punch of his own that the man blocked with his forearm. The older man struck Gon in the stomach with a kick before he had time to touch the ground. It didn't do any damage as he had seen the movement and had used Ko accordingly to protect himself.

That being said he was too focused on Sylva and didn't see or sense the 'Dragon Lance' coming at him from behind. It encircled him in its maw and pressed him on the gym's wall.

"Are you going to be as stubborn as Killua says you are or are you going to tell us where the chimera ant is ?" Zeno asked again.

"No way !" Gon replied fiercely. "Are you going to kill me now ?" He shot back.

"No. You are not the target. We were simply hired to kill the Chimera ant Neferpitou." Sylva stated.

Pitou, observing from nearby, was ready to jump out of her hiding place to confront them, but she paused when she heard Gon giggle.

"You shouldn't have said that." Gon announced.

His Nen suddenly spiked and destroyed the wall behind him, giving him the chance to extract himself from the dragon's maw. All three observers looked on, taken aback, as his aura continued to flare wildly while, all over his body, his muscles bulged and grew with his frame. When it settled, the boy looked like he had aged five years and Pitou realized with a startle that he was now almost on equal footing with her in terms of raw power.

"When you will have to report and explain why you failed your mission to your employers," Gon began with a deeper voice, slightly menacing. "Tell them, tell everyone who asks that Gon Freecs is protecting her, and the next assassins they send after her won't come back." He finished with a growl.

At the end of his speech, he conjured two new orbs that he punched with one jajanken each. The two Zoldyck were prepared for the resulting explosions this time, but not for their magnitude. Gon rushed at Silva with unexpected speed and threw a punch while his other hand was punching another orb in Zeno's direction. Killua's father winced when he felt Gon's fist impact his guard and break both his arms.

Zeno was about to attack with his 'Dragon Head' when he was brutally thrown into the wall of the gymnasium by Gon's jajanken. He hadn't even sensed the teenager appear behind him. The wise grandfather quickly realized that the price they were payed wasn't enough for him to tolerate taking a beating by this raging young man. Therefore, he ordered Silva to retreat. They both used a card to leave the location and silence fell as Gon was left standing alone, gazing at the destruction he caused. Pitou chose this moment to step out and flew directly into Gon's arms.

"Why did you do that ?! That's the vow and restriction, I know it, don't you dare lie to me ! What's gonna happen to you ?" She ranted, shaking him frantically.

Gon, not knowing how to stop her gently, did the first thing he could think of that would shut her up and covered her mouse with his own. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates for a moment. Then, they closed and she kissed him back. Gon absently noted that it was way better than what he had imagined. They parted for some much needed air and he took his chance.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." He attempted to reassure her.

Despite feeling dizzy, she was skeptical and voiced it. "How are you gonna be fine ? Explain now."

He sighed. "I couldn't completely suppress the vow and restriction I made to fight you, it was too powerful. So I altered it. Now I can force my body to grow stronger if it is to protect you from a death threat. I'm going to be extremely sore and won't be able to use Nen for a few days, that's all. There's nothing to worry about." He explained with a smile.

She was left speechless for a good half-minute and she just stared in his eyes. When she regained her wits, she kissed him fiercely.

"Thank you." She said shyly while they were returning to the house.

"Don't thank me yet, we're going to have to leave now that we've been found, and you'll have to carry me again." Gon said grinning playfully.

She didn't respond and just giggled evilly to herself, worrying him a little.

"So, who was it and what have you destroyed ?" Razor asked with a relaxed attitude when they entered the house.

Gon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Killua's father and grandfather. I probably wouldn't have won if they hadn't underestimated and tried not to kill me. For the damage-" He didn't get to finish as his Nen cut off and he blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been a long time since I last worked on this story and, honestly speaking, I feel like it's bad. I don't really want to continue as it is, plus I don't feel motivated.**

 **Please tell me in a review what you think, I might write a new HxH story if nobody wants to read more of this one.**

* * *

Gon woke up on Neferpitou, litterally. She was carrying him on her back and walking through a familiar forest.

"I must still be dreaming, it can't be whale island." He said, blinking his eyes multiple times as if to dispel an illusion.

"Look who's finally awake. You slept for two weeks straight Gon." She informed him, sounding slightly miffed.

"Really? I didn't expect the restriction to be that demanding." He checked himself and verified that, yes, he could use Nen again.

Pitou stopped and let him down. She said she was going to hunt something and left. Gon didn't know why she was angry with him, he didn't like it. When she returned, he immediately asked her what the problem was. She tried to be evasive but he would have none of it and insisted she tell him. She relented but made him promise, several times, to stay calm and not to do anything rash.

"The day after you blacked out, a man named Dwun talked to Razor so he could pass a message on to you." She said easily and Gon could feel the tension in her rise as she went on. "You know Reina, the ant born right after the king? She insists that her name is Kaito and it was proven that she has his memories."

It took him a few minutes to process this revelation, having difficulties grasping the concept presented to him.

"Are you saying..?"

"That Kaito is alive and got reincarnated as a chimera ant? Yes. At least, that's what the message said, he didn't show me any proof." Pitou pointed out.

Gon nodded in understanding, it could be a plot to make her come out in the open. Even if the idea of Dwun doing that to him was unlikely, he couldn't be sure. He couldn't trust anyone with Pitou's safety but himself. Given that it was his top priority, he made a decision.

"We'll go to aunt Mito's home. She won't recognize you as she doesn't care about what happens in the world outside the island and I'll call someone to send a message of my own."

"What for nyah?" She asked curiously.

"If the ant really is who she says, she should be able to find me herself." He said with a playful smile.

* * *

A meeting was taking place with different parties involved. One was the Hunter association, represented by the newly elected chairman Cheadle Yorkshire and one of the zodiacs, Ging Freecs codename 'boar'. Another was the Zoldyck family with Zeno and Silva Zoldyck. The last consisted of members of the Chimera Ant Extermination Mission.

"So, what can you tell us about your meeting with Gon Freecs on Greed Island ?" Cheadle asked, beginning the session.

"He is relatively strong. He was able to keep up against both of us to an extent." Zeno said, surprising several in the room. "He uses a vow and restriction to force his body to grow and mature beyond his age. It seemingly activated when I said 'We came to kill the chimera ant Neferpitou' and he answered with 'You shouldn't have said that'. I can guess that once the ant is threatened with death or something among those lines, the vow activates. If you want my advice, do not target them, they are strong on their own, but as a team..." He trailed off.

"Why would he do that?" Palm muttered to herself, although everyone heard her.

"Am I the only one to think he's being manipulated?" Leorio asked incredously.

"Father and Grandpa would have seen it with Gyo if he was manipulated by her Nen, plus Razor know Gon well enough to notice if he was acting like himself or not."

"What do we do?" Knuckle prompted.

"We could wait, if the restriction from his vow isn't too harsh, he should have received the news about Kaito by now."

"He received it alright. He even called Beans a few hours ago." Ging said with a smirk. He suddenly had everyone's attention. "He said and I quote: 'If Kaito is half the hunter he was when searching for my father, she'll know where to find me'."

Everyone frowned, that wasn't really Gon's style to do something like that. Two people, however, caught on the hidden meaning.

* * *

Pitou was quite surprised by how well they had been welcomed by Mito. Gon did tell her beforehand that his aunt wouldn't mind her appearance, but she was still a little taken aback by the woman's total lack of reaction to it. Mito seemed to be made entirely of maternal instincts when it came to Gon, and that amused her to no end.

It had been a few days since they began to stay with Gon's family. Right now, Pitou was helping Mito do the laundry despite the latter's protest.

"So, you're his girlfriend ?" Mito asked out of the blue.

Pitou choked on her breath. She knew what it meant, she read it in some magazine, but she didn't really understand the notion.

"Girlfriend?"

"You know, I saw you two kissing outside the other day, I just want to make sure you do love him. It's my job to ensure you're not going to break his heart." Mito said with an edge to her voice.

Neferpitou was then reminded of a question that had been bothering her for some time.

"How do you know if you're in love with someone?"

Mito looked at her incredously but, seeing her expression, she got the problem and giggled.

"That's not really something you know." She said to Pitou's surprise. "It is something you feel. But I think I could give you some hints. Let's see... You think about the person often, you want to be close to him as much as possible and you want to know everything about him. His happiness becomes more important than your own and you can't help but worry about him sometimes. You'll want to protect him from danger, even if it's not the best option."

She would have continued, but then she realized that Pitou was deep in thought and had stopped moving.

"Go think about it, I'll finish alone." Mito said with a smile.


End file.
